Monthly Archives: September 2011

DC Comics is relaunching its entire stockpile of 52 comic book titles this month in hopes of reaching a broader audience. Such a ‘reboot’ goes hand-in-hand with DC’s parent company Warner Bros. aspirations to put a Justice League Film together by 2013 in order to directly compete with Marvel’s The Avengers. Warner Bros. new president Jeff Robinov has made it clear that such a project is the studio’s top priority with the company looking for a new cash cow in the wake of Harry Potter’s franchise concluding. Regardless of the logistic reality of such a task let’s take a look at the four main characters of DC’s flagship teamof superheroes. Superman is the indestructible Guardian known as the Big Blue Boyscout who is steadfastly reliable and follows a strict code of ethics. Batman is the billionaire playboy industrialist Artisan who dons a mask at night and ‘beats criminals to a bloody pulp with his bare hands’. Green Lantern is the nurturing Idealist who wields a ‘power ring’ that translates his imagination into green energy using the strength of his willpower. Finally The Flash is the Rationalscientist who thinks at superhuman speed, travels through time, and defies the laws of physics. Marvel/Disney clearly has an advantage in Hollywood having almost wrapped principal photography on the Avengers after solidly establishing all four major characters. DC/Warner Brothers on the other hand has it’s work cut out for it having not successfully established any major characters yet outside of Chris Nolan’s Batman franchise. Robinov however has made it clear that a Justice League of America film will happen in 2013 regardless of how many characters have been solidly established with audiences beforehand. Given these two supersquads I think the question on everyones mind is: which one wins in a streetfight?

The Avengers is Marvel/Disney’s hopeful blockbuster franchise slated to assemble at a theater near you during the summer of 2012. Marvel studios and Walt Disney pictures have strategically released independent films providing backstory for the Avengers’ four major characters. Those being Iron Man, the incredible Hulk, Captain America, and Thor. And like any dynamic and complex set of major characters, these four ‘Avengers’ together represent all four basic personality types. Captain America is of course the stalwart Guardian who defends justice with his iconic shield. Hulk is likewise the emotional and impulsiveArtisan who transforms into a raging beast when angered. Iron Man is the Rational industrialist and ingenious engineer that utilizes a mechanical suit of armor. Finally Thor is the championing Idealist god of thunder who fights ‘for Asgard’ and is constantly learning life’s lessons. Together, they assemble to fight against threats to humanity. Much like the four temperaments assemble to do the same.